User blog:GreenMoriyama/Custom Content Guide for Wikia Blogs
Welcome to the tutorial on how to properly create blog posts for custom content which conforms to the LoL Wiki's etiquette. In this tutorial, we will be going over the how-tos of basic formatting and the starting process of publishing custom content on the LoL Wiki. Introduction With any game or story, there are bound to be people who would like to add their own imaginative contents, such as, but not limited to, characters and plot lines. Here at the LoL Wiki, and for League of Legend fans in general, users after users have conceived their own creative content for the LoL universe, whether it be new items, reworks of official champions or even entirely new champions. And among the bearers of such creativity, there are others who also provide critique to others' contents or even collaborate on projects. By reading this guide, we hope that those of you who are unfamiliar to the LoL Wiki's etiquette regarding custom content will have both an easier time conforming to the aforementioned creative community we have here and an overall better experience too. Do note: while this guide will cover the basic programming language of the wiki (HTML and Templates), it is still highly recommended that one also reads Tylobic's Basic LoL Wiki Tutorial if they wish to better understand the foundation of formatting on this Wiki. Some contents of this guide will overlap with Tylobic's guide, while others will not. What qualifies as "Custom Content" Before diving into how to create Custom Content, what defines "Custom Content"? Custom content is any content created that is made by a user and is envisioned to be their thought of what should be in the game. It can range from items to champions, along with even lore pieces and game mechanics. However, they are not just any typical discussion of "what ifs," but much more grounded collections of thoughts placed upon the canvas of the game. Custom Champions As the name implies, custom champions are a user's personal proposition of a new champion. They can be conforming to the world of Runeterra, or they can be expies/crossover characters from another game, a movie or other forms of media & literature. They are defined as being a new champion a player can supposedly play if they were in the game. Exa: Picaso, The Paintbrush Wielding Summoner-Mage! Custom Items Custom items are just that: a new envisioned item that would be available in the shop. They can be completely new items, or they can be derivatives from existing ones. They can be an upgrade to a current item that does not have one, or can be the holder of a new mechanic the creator wants to express. Overall, they are a new item that a champion can purchase from the store. Exa: + = Blood Bane Rework / Change Proposals Rework and Change proposals are for blogs where the creator wants to express a patch they want to see in the game for existing content. They might want to buff/nerf a champion, or they may want to see an item fulfill something closer to their intended fantasy. Compared to custom champs or items, this group of blogs are for those who want to improve the current state of the game than add new champs/items to the roster. Exa: Better Nerf ; Bring back with an updated mechanic Others (Lore, Gameplay, & Systems) There are many other blogs that are much like custom content, but are not specific to one champ or item. These are typically blogs that step outside the realms of custom content, as the creator looks at the game or the theme as a whole. In some way they are thinking outside the box, attempting to expand the game's horizon. Exa: Other regions of Ionia; How to better and its fading edges; New masteries or summoner spells How to Create Basic Guideline of Editing For the how-to for basic editing on the Wiki, please refer to (once again) Tylobic's Basic LoL Wiki Tutorial. Starting up Custom Content For anyone who is new to the content creation scene, it is always good to start out with a template and play around with it. One good source is to use blog:Mineko Charat Lucky/Behold, a Sandwich this start-up, provided by Mineko Charat Lucky, or champion this. They have everything from the stats box to the ability kits. Lore and other items are added on one's own accord. For a copy-paste setup, copy the code listed below and paste it into your own blog. |alttype = , Pusher |date = January 1st, 2??? |rangetype = melee |health = 10 |attack = 10 |spells = 10 |difficulty = 10 |hp_base = 10 |hp_lvl = 1 |mp_base = 10 |mp_lvl = 1 |mp5_base = 1 |mp5_lvl = 0.1 |resource = Mana |ad_base = 5 |ad_lvl = 0.1 |range = 125 |arm_base = 10 |arm_lvl = 2 |mr_base = 32.1 |mr_lvl = 1.25 |as_base = 0.3 |as_lvl = 0.5 |hp5_base = 1 |hp5_lvl = 0.1 |ms = 325 }} Hero, the Hero is a custom template champion in League of Legends. Abilities Hero sums up all his strength in the next punch, based on all his good stats. |leveling= (+ 1% current speed) |cooldown= }} While off, Hero carries a burden, himself. |description2= For a split-second, Hero convinces himself that he has no burden. In the end, the burden returns, toggling this ability off instantly. |leveling= |leveling2= |cooldown= |cost= no |costtype= cost }} Hero’s E hurts more when his target is dying. |leveling= |cooldown= 12 |cost= |costtype= mana |range= }} And Hero ults! |leveling= |cooldown= |cost= no |costtype= cost |range= }} Recommended Items Lore Lore of Hero. Comments Your comments. Use to make your own custom champion concepts. Do remember to use the format YourName_FileName.jpg (no brackets) when uploading pictures to a wikia. }} Updated Champion Rating The updated radial rating system can be utilized by replacing the base attributes with , , , , , and with their corresponding values and integer of choice between 0 and 3. A new variable called style is also present, whose value should be any integer from 0 to 100 in the steps of '10's. The lower the value of style, the more it implies that the champion relies solely on basic attacks, rather than abilities. The higher the value of style, the more it implies that the champion relies solely on abilities. An alternative version of the copy-paste setup which utilizes these aspects is shown below. |alttype = , Pusher |date = January 1st, 2??? |rangetype = melee |damage = 3 |toughness = 0 |control = 1 |mobility = 2 |utility = 3 |difficulty = 3 |style = 100 |hp_base = 10 |hp_lvl = 1 |mp_base = 10 |mp_lvl = 1 |mp5_base = 1 |mp5_lvl = 0.1 |resource = Mana |ad_base = 5 |ad_lvl = 0.1 |range = 125 |arm_base = 10 |arm_lvl = 2 |mr_base = 32.1 |mr_lvl = 1.25 |as_base = 0.3 |as_lvl = 0.5 |hp5_base = 1 |hp5_lvl = 0.1 |ms = 325 }} }} Note that for both of the setups above, a custom champion may only have one role for each of their primary and secondary roles, lest the utilized template be broken. Latest Template For those that are comfortable with the basic usage of templates, and are desiring a more modern look (subject to personal preference), it may be worth having a look into a newer deviation of the custom champion template which standardizes its visuals to that of an official champion page. A copy-paste setup is available below. |alttype = , Pusher |toughness = 0 |control = 1 |mobility = 2 |utility = 3 |difficulty = 3 |style = 100 |hp_base = 10 |hp_lvl = 1 |mp_base = 10 |mp_lvl = 1 |mp5_base = 1 |mp5_lvl = 0.1 |resource = Mana |ad_base = 5 |ad_lvl = 0.1 |range = 125 |arm_base = 10 |arm_lvl = 2 |mr_base = 32.1 |mr_lvl = 1.25 |as_base = 0.3 |as_lvl = 0.5 |hp5_base = 1 |hp5_lvl = 0.1 |ms = 325 }} }} For rework proposals, use instead of Both templates utilize the same variables. Formatting Custom Content Basic Formatting The most important thing about formatting not only custom content, but everything else on the Wiki, is the proper use of templates. Templates allow information to be presented in neat and streamlined collections that are also visually appealing, making navigating the page that much easier and enjoyable. Below are some commonly used templates, their respective functions and how to appropriately use them in a CCC. tt= This is the code for t'ool't'ips. It is used for showing (usually extensive) details hidden "behind" other text by hovering over the latter. The code looks like this: and results like this: --- Know that some symbols will break the template, such as quotation marks. |-|as= This is the code for color-coding '''a'bility 's'calings. It is used for coloring stats, or color given text based on a stat. The code looks like this: or and results like this: & --- This code is context sensitive. It will automatically color the text the appropriate color for attack speed, health, ability power, magic resistance, etc. If unsure if the text will be colored correctly, take the soft option of adding the extra parameter at the end with the stat you want the text to be colored for. |-|ap= This is the code for 'a'bility 'p'rogression. It is used for displaying progressing values in an ability, scaling by the ability's rank, in addition to visually streamlining decimal values. The code looks like this: and results like this: |-|pp/pp18= This is the code for 'p'assive 'p'rogression of values, more specifically for champion leveled values. It is used for displaying progressing values by level or, if specified, other parameters. The code looks like this: and results like this: --- Adding "formula=" allows you to display a formula for the progression. This can help explain if the progression is not even throughout the levels. Adding "type=" changes the first value from "level" to whatever type of scaling you desire. |-|st/ft= These are the codes for when one wants to display numerical stats in a contained space of an ability box. 'S'kill 't'abs is used for displaying stats on the right side of an ability box. In its format, it includes the stat name and the number, and has thus replaced ft templates in that section of the ability box due to avoiding the ft template's issue of flipping all text on the page simultaneously. The code looks like this: and results like this: When using this template, you can string up to five different stats. --- 'F'lip 't'ext is a still used template, but has been replaced by the St tempalte for stat values on the right side of an ability box. It is used to have text flip upon clicking them and displaying two related values, such as the minimum and maximum outputs of an ability. However, if there is more than one ft template on the page, clicking the text will flip all ft templates. The code looks like this: and results like this: |-| Scroll box= This is the code for a scroll box, as it says. The code looks like this: and results like this: Keep in mind, longer texts will stay inside the same box to avoid taking too much vertical space. This looks like this: This can be manually circumvented if one wishes however by manually inputting the desired integer for the maxheight variable. looks like this: -------------- lc= '''lc is the code for l'arge '''c'ap. It is used for inserting text that is bold and all-capped, usually to define an effect name or property. The code looks like this: and results like this: --- Using nolist= will prevent the template from adding the bullet point. Looks like this: |-|sbc= '''sbc is the code for s'mall '''b'old 'c'aps. The code looks like this: and results like this: |-|ci/ai/ii= This is the code for displaying 'c'hampion/'a'''bility/'i'tem '''i'mages next to a text, while also links to the respective page. It is used for when you want more visibility on a page for specific champions, abilities or items than simple text. The code looks like this: or or and results like this: & & --- One more paramter can be placed after the name of the champion/ability/item to make a personalized name for it. For example, will become . |-|cci= This is the code for 'c'ustom 'c'ontent 'i'nfo. It is used when wanting to add a custom image to a text, plus link it to a desired page. The code looks like this: and results like this: --- This can be used for adding any image to any text, and is not specific for champions. |-|tip= This is the code for 'c'rowd 'c'ontrol '''tip. It is used to designate an image and tooltip for text that refers to a crow control effect. The code looks like this: or and results like this: & tip can also use non-crowd-control-related parameters such as ranges ( / , / ), lanes ( / / / / / ), or . --- Double-check if the designated text is a proper term recognized by the template, or else the template will give back an "error" text that can be a pain to see on the page. |-|Quote= This is the code for Quote's. It is used for quotes, duh. The code looks like this: and results like this: --- Quotation marks are optional, but remember they are not included formally. ------------- More basic formatting tricks can be found on Tylobic's blog mentioned near the top of this blog. Advanced Formatting Even after one finishes their custom champion's kit, stats and lore, there are still some ways they can further expand their champion, such as creating an information box of the character's data, seen commonly on the official champions' background pages with their respective renders. You can learn how to use these by inspecting the source code for the champs' pages. Creating Healthy Content One item to consider if you're new to the notion of healthy design and the differentiation of what is healthy and what isn't, is Zileas' List of Game Design Anti-Patterns. This blog discusses a number of design paradigms and philosophies that should - for the most part - be avoided and as to why they fail to provide an enjoyable experience for the players. Aside from that, there is also featured how-tos for the creation of kits or effects, how to judge which to add to the game and what just doesn't work. Let's not forget that when designing a champion, it is always a good idea to create a connection between the theme and the kit/mechanics. If they are disconnected, the concept as a whole will receive less appreciation, and the champion or item's very gameplay will not resonate with its character. However, it is also important to make sure that the kit's balance doesn't delve too much, if not at all, on the thematics - very rarely should you sacrifice gameplay for theme, as this can lead to ridiculous kits that obviously doesn't work. It's also advantageous to study how Riot designs their champions. You can find tons of info about their process via their Monthly Q&A w/Ghostcrawler and Design Streams with featured designers, their podcasts, and their champion reveals and insight pages. Also, this video of Rioters @ PAX East 2015 - The Journey of Champion Design and this dev diary are amazing resources. While numbers are always adjustable, they should be formulaic and somewhat balanced (''basically not outrageous). Numbers should scale in either a or an fashion; while wild concepts are fine, streamlined numbers provide a better picture and a clean presentation. Numbers should not be entirely absurd, since they should on average represent what is the statistics of an ability. If one ability is supposed to have more range than another one, it should be apparent; don't over exaggerate the differences though. If you need a way to gauge the stats of a champion, try checking out the statistics of existing champions. Some general rules of thumb that are noteworthy are the following: * champions have attack ranges of 125 ~ 175 with most being 125. champions have attack ranges of 400 ~ 650, with most being 550. * champions have better base stats than champions (though barring ) with the most notable being , and . * champions have ~ magic resistance ( growth)}} based on level and champions have ~ magic resistance ( growth)}} based on level. As for classes, they too have a similar rundown of "general rules of thumb" as they are literally the classification of the champion and what they'll likely contribute (or lack in contribution) for the game/team. Check out this page for a fuller page on the topic. Basic Classification Fighter= Summary: , also called Bruisers, are sturdy damage dealers whose kit gives them incentive to be in the middle of fights. They generally have better combative stats than other classes, but are lacking in one or more of the other departments in turn such as, but not limited to the following: mobility, utility and crowd control. Strength & Weaknesses: *Trumps every other class in raw base stats. *Limited range, lacks utility. |-|Tank= Summary: The stone-wall class type, can intake lots of damage, but often lack the means to return the damage in kind. Their abilities are geared towards keeping their team safe from harm, in addition to providing defensive options for their allies. With powerful crowd control and massive areas of influence, tanks are for sure the ones with the greatest presence in fights, barring the damage department. Strength & Weaknesses: *High survivability and utility. *Kit-dependent for situational damage and mobility. |-|Mage= Summary: are a class of champions with powerful abilities that can deal devastating amounts of damage. In turn, mages have the weakness of being lacking purpose when all of their abilities are on cooldown, along with being generally immobile, meaning their defensive power also stems from the crowd control featured in their abilities. Mages overall benefit greatly from cooldown reduction, if only because they are ability-dependent. Strength & Weaknesses: *More impactful abilities compared to other classes. *Very vulnerable when their abilities are on cooldown. |-|Slayers= Summary: Also known as Assassins, are cunning opportunists who prefer situations which are advantageous for themselves, finding lone and vulnerable enemies, then killing them as fast as possible. Slayers excel at dealing bursts of damage upon a single enemy and are very mobile. But, like mages, they lack the means of being a constant threat, and are left with few options when their abilities are on cooldown. Strength & Weaknesses: *High burst damage and mobility. *Lacks utility, and quite vulnerable if caught out. |-|Marksman= Summary: Strictly ranged as their namesake proposes, the are AA-reliant champions who trade toughness for the sustained damage they deal. Although at times they'll feature mobility, these are typically constricted to use for positioning or temporal means of escape. Their kit will typically promote the use of basic attacks and on-hit effects to deal maximum damage. Strength & Weaknesses: *Best DPS in the game. *Kit-dependent mobility and crowd control, low toughness (health, armor, MR). Often lacks utility. |-|Controller= Summary: True to the meaning of their original name of " ," help their teammates achieve their goals. A very diverse class, some controllers are secondary tanks; some are spell-based; some even deal damage to set up kills. The key to controllers is their amazing utility or crowd control, which can make or break fights. However, they are arguably the weakest class in 1v1 situations as they lack dueling power. Strength & Weaknesses: *Provide tons of utility. *Generally lacking in offensive options. |-|Specialist= Summary: The ... is the specialist. While they may have hints of any of the classes above, their playstyle is so unique that marking them as any one class would misrepresent what they classify as. A good majority of this category are champions who excel in zoning. Strength & Weaknesses: *Typically fit a specific niche not exhibited by any other champion *Sub-par to par in other areas Sub or Mixed Classification When having a champion take a secondary role, consider how this secondary classification affects the champion's playstyle, or better to say, how the kit emulates this second class. If you build a kit to a specific gameplay style, make sure they follow proper strength & weakness based balance, while avoiding ridiculous extremes. Final Touches of Custom Content For goodness' sake, adding a "personal comments" section will personalize your work, along with telling incoming readers what your intentions were. Make sure to spell out, word for word, why you made the content, what it is supposed to do, and how it achieves that goal. If there is any personal story as to how the CC came to be, then say it. Let's not forget that after posting the custom content, one should go back to editing the blog and remove the "blog post" category, visible on the bottom-right of the editing screen. The image on the right gives a visual (+1) on how removing this category should look like; as might say, "it's that simple." Policies & Etiquette There may be no written handbook of "How to be a good Custom Content Creator," but there still lies manners and policies that should be heeded when posting your works. *''Don't create a page'' for your concept. ''Create a '''blog. **Make sure to ''remove the "blog post" category and add the '"custom champion/content"' category if the latter is missing from the category. Not doing this will clog up the front page's list of recent blogs, in a way causing double posting, which should be avoided. ***Not complying with this policy warrants a warning. Repeated offences may result in a temporal ban. *Wait for a few days after the blog's creation to take action, even if there are no replies or reviews. People on the wiki are human, and they could just be busy with their lives. **If no one comes to review the blog after the first few days, ask around prolific content creators or wait a little more. Do not repost a blog! *Do not first-post your own blog. Unless you have made actual extensive progress since the creation of the custom content (such as an overhaul) and some has passed. There may be other exceptions, but consider not being the first to post under any circumstances. *Take criticism when provided. Even if the person is telling you how bad your concept may be, try to understand that your concept may actually need a tune up. **''But'', also make a difference between good criticism and bad criticism. If a reviewer simply points out what parts are not good without suggesting what to do about it, aside from noting what is bad, do not let the reviewer sway your intentions. Otherwise, ask back what the reviewer is trying to say to get more information. *Even if you have a concept in store, if you had released a concept in the last week, do not post the next blog. Unless that last concept is entirely , posting a new blog will not only clog the front page, but also cause suspicion of your efforts in improving any of your concepts. **Avoid posting multiple concepts on a single blog, especially in an attempt to circumvent the above statement. It may seem good to be earnest to let one's concepts be reviewed, but posting too many may make it hard for a reader to read all the content, on top of others being annoyed by the number of custom content being posted at once. *''Always source used source material, especially themes''. Character ideas that are not entirely original should be referenced, and pictures should be linked to their source or artist. Unless the idea had been purely conceived independently of any exact idea, or you had drawn the illustrations yourself, give credit to the original creator or artist. This is especially the case for artists, whether they be hired by you or not. Sourcing is your friend and can avoid the uncouthed bashing of people telling you about "unoriginal" material. **Such information should be placed in a rather obvious location, such as as a link next to the illustration or a shout-out in the introduction. Making this clear can help avoid people having ill thoughts of the concept being "unoriginal," when your intention were to copy over the concept from its source anyway. Blog Policies in General Taken from this: *What warrants deletion: **Incomplete or empty champion concepts/templates **Extremely difficult to read concepts **Copy paste of champion/concept templates **Concepts in a language that is not in English **Repeat offenders at failing to properly categorize blogs (Last resort, and only after 4-5 times. A copy is sent to the message wall after deletion, or the user is warned to save the blog on their own before deletion) or abide by any other blog policies *What doesn't warrant deletion: **Terribly designed concepts (You can make it as broken or unoriginal as possible and as long as it doesn't compound with the above problems, it stays.) ** formatting, though this '''doesn't' mean that difficult-to-read presentations are to be promoted''. **Bad grammar (As long as the concept isn't entirely gibberish, it stays as well) Personal Comments Hello, summoners of the LoL wiki. My name is GreenMoriyama, and I introduce to you today a starting guideline in creating "custom content." I created this blog due to witnessing a good handful of custom content blogs lacking in content and, to be blunt, utter disasters that waste the space. In some cases, it stems from the lack of a guideline or policy page for such content, or the creators at hand are new to creating champions or content overall, thus I wish for this to be reduced if not outright removed. There are other content creators who post concepts with more depth to them, and to see them be drowned out by other less dedicated posts is rather depressing. I'm aware of how rude (or maybe even insensitive) this could be to some who believe they are contributing proper content, but it is still possible to take a step back and look at how one's action can affect others. This issue has been prevalent, thus discussed, in the past. So once and for all, I want to provide a blog that helps new users join the content creation scene here on the wikia. There is a suggestion wiki created solely for custom content, but I personally feel that this alienates the content creation community into an isolated location, since that site also has a great lack of accessibility and traffic. If you ever have questions about custom content and their makings, you may ask me, an admin or others you see making good criticism on custom champion blogs. There is no harm in asking. And a final thanks go to the following users who've helped with this guide: KeithCornell, Lesdin, LivesByProxy, and Poisonshark. My gratitude to all other content creators too and their inspiring works. Category:Blog posts